LS elections: Modi invokes 1971, says he'd have taken back Kartapur Sahib before freeing Pak soldiers

Punjab: Addressing a public rally in Jalandhar, PM Modi says, "5 phases of elections have been completed in the country, tomorrow the sixth phase of elections... Those who were blowing balloons against BJP till yesterday, their balloons have also burst. Now no one wants to vote for the Congress and INDI alliance... From Kashmir to Kanniyakumari it has been decided 'Fir ek baar, Modi sarkar'."

Bibhav Kumar has moved a bail application. The court has asked Delhi police to file a reply. The court has listed the hearing on Monday. Bibhav Kumar has been sent to judicial custody after police interrogation.

On Congress-AAP alliance, Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav says, "Whenever Rahul Gandhi has come, our MLAs have shared the stage with him. Kejriwal has also campaigned for the three seats of Congress. After initial obstacles, the workers or AAP and Congress are able to work with comfort." 

Union Minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur, Dharmendra Pradhan met Padma Shri awardee and popular 'Rangabati' singer Jitendra Haripal, and inquired about his health condition at his residence in Sambalpur. 

BJP national President JP Nadda addressed a public rally in Ballia Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He said, "PM Modi spread optical fibre and opened Common Service Centres in 2 lakh panchayats. People of Congress, Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav called India a country of illiterates." 

He added, "They asked what would happen after digitalisation, of what use the Wi-Fi would be here... Modi Ji recognised India's capabilities and even a vegetable vendor does digital transactions through UPI. 'Yeh badla hua Bharat hai. Jise tumne anpadh kaha, wo tumse zyada padha likha nikla'."

Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party candidate from Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat Dharmendra Yadav says, "... If some Muslim castes were considered backward in the Mandal Commission's recommendation, is it a crime? Are they not part of the Constitution?... BJP people only want to spread hatred." 

Punjab: Addressing a public rally in Gurdaspur, PM Narendra Modi says, "Punjab knows the true faces of the INDI alliance. Punjab has suffered the most at the hands of this INDI alliance. Partition, instability, militancy, attacking the brotherhood of Punjab, and attack on its faith. They gave wind to separatism in Punjab and caused a genocide of Sikhs in Delhi. Till the Congress was in the central government, it gave shelter to the rioters. It is Modi who reopened the 1984 case files. It is Modi who ensured punishment for the accused..."

Launching a scathing attack at Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that if had he been the PM of the country at the time of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, he would have reclaimed Kartarpur Sahib from Pakistan in return for the release of Pakistani soldiers.

"At the time of the Bangladesh War, we had 90,000 soldiers of Pakistan. The 'Hukum ka Ikka' was in our hands. If Modi had been there at that time, I would have taken Kartarpur Sahib from them and then released their soldiers. Still, I got Kartarpur Sahib Corridor built," he said.

Patiala, Punjab: Addressing a public rally, PM Modi said, "Our Sikh families were in trouble in Afghanistan, we brought everyone safely. 'Guru Granth Sahibji' was also brought with respect by my minister." 

BJP candidate from North-East Delhi Manoj Tiwari said, "The love being shown by people tells us that we might win by a margin of more than 5 Lakh votes. The support in such high temperatures is unprecedented." 

BJP leader Shaina NC said, "Be it Swati Maliwal or any other woman, in cases of violence against women, the first thing needs to be is the registration of an FIR. Why was the FIR not filed for so long? Why did Arvind Kejriwal not say anything in this matter?

"What message is he trying to convey by giving shelter to people like Bibhav Kumar? All women are questioning Arvind Kejriwal over his claims of women's safety after women of his party are not safe in the party. Arvind Kejriwal only tries to play the victim card. Why does he not stick to the topic?" 

Union Minister Smriti Irani holds a roadshow in support of BJP candidate from East Delhi, Harsh Malhotra ahead of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections scheduled in Delhi on May 25.

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweets, "I heard Rahul Gandhi speak about how he knows about the secrets of the “system”. Let me just jog his memory on some incidents where we are still waiting to understand and unravel secrets of the system...I think the best way forward is to set up a Judicial Commission and investigate all the secrets Rahul was privy to, and that harmed national interests."

"Congress says minorities and Muslims have first right on country's resources. Narendra Modi says Dalits, Adivasis, people from backward classes, poor and women have first right on the country's resources. During Samajwadi Party's rule, goons used to trouble people. In 2017, people elected BJP and Yogi Adityanath stopped hooliganism," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while addressing an election rally in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.

In his address to a public meeting in UP's Ambedkar Nagar, Union HM Amit Shah says, "Who can protect the country from coronavirus? Who can send Chandrayan to the moon?... Who can give gas connection to crores of poor? Who can give rations to 80 crore people? Who can bear the health expense of up to Rs 5 lakhs of more than 30 crore people? Who can let tap water to 14 crore houses? Who can build toilets in 12 crore houses?  If Modi can do everything, to whom you should make the PM?..."

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, " People are angry because BJP did not fulfil any promises it made. Inflation and unemployment are at an all-time high. This election is not about Hindu-Muslim or India-Pakistan, but it is about protecting the Constitution. They are no longer raising the '400 paar' slogan... Earlier, backward classes, Dalit and Adivasis were part of the General category as well. But BJP has tied these three classes into their own category... If the minorities are well educated, they will get more jobs in the 40% block reserved for the General category..."
 

Addressing a rally in Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed opposition Congress and said "On one side is your tried and tested 'sewak' Modi, no one knows who is leading the other side."

"Cow hasn't given milk yet but fight over ghee has started in INDIA bloc; it's talking about having 5 PMs in 5 years," he added.

Assam BJP MLA Krishnendu Paulhas claimed that his party has gained a good percentage of Muslim votes in the minority-dominated Lok Sabha seats in the state due to the BJP's developmental politics.

"BJP governments in both the Centre and state have done the politics of development in the last several years. There was no discrimination in the government-aided projects. Whether it is Ayushman Bharat or the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Muslims were never left out. The minority voters have understood this very well," Krishnendu Paul told IANS.

Police have placed leaders of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) under house arrest so as to foil their 'Chalo Macherla' programme to protest against YSR Congress Party resorting to violence during polling and subsequent days.

The TDP has given a call for 'Chalo Macherla' to meet victims of the alleged violence by Macherla sitting MLA Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy of YSRCP.

However, police denied the permission for the protest and placed TDP leaders under house arrest.

Palnadu district Superintendent of Police Mallika Garg announced that there is no permission for the 'Chalo Macherla' programme.

Police personnel reached the houses of some key TDP leaders in the morning to prevent them from leaving for Macherla.

TDP leaders Nakka Anand Babu and K. Srinivasa Rao were placed under house arrest in Guntur.

Former minister Devineni Uma was stopped from leaving his house in Gollapudi. Similarly, TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah was kept under house arrest in Vijayawada.

TDP candidate from Macherla Assembly constituency, Julakanti Brahmananda Reddy remains under house arrest since the polling on May 13.

Taking objection to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writing repeatedly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the cancellation of the Diplomatic Passport of the prime accused in the sex videos case and absconding JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that there are established procedures for the cancellation of passports.

Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, Joshi stated, "A petition has already been submitted to the court for the cancellation of the Diplomatic Passport. The central government is initiating action. There is a procedure to bring back those who have fled to foreign countries. The central government is ready to extend cooperation to the state government. If they expect the passport to be cancelled immediately after writing a letter, how is that possible?"

Joshi questioned, "Let CM Siddaramaiah, Dy CM DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara answer my question. The pen drive connected to the Prajwal Revanna case emerged on April 21. However, he went to a foreign country on April 27. What was the state government doing until then?"

"No action was taken until the election was over, fearing it would affect the Vokkaliga vote bank," Joshi alleged.

"The sex video scandal is a serious case. Prajwal Revanna should face the investigation. If he has committed offenses, stern action needs to be taken. There is no question of sympathy for Prajwal Revanna at all," Joshi clarified.

Joshi further accused the state government of focusing more on politics than on conducting an investigation.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday claimed that there was a Congress wave in Haryana.

She said this during a roadshow in Haryana's Sirsa in support of the party's Lok Sabha candidate Kumari Selja.

Accompanied by Kumari Selja and the party's legislator Kiran Choudhary, Priyanka Gandhi said, "There's a massive Congress wave in Haryana and the Congress will clean sweep Haryana in these elections."

"People are tired of their (BJP) politics. There is too much unemployment and inflation is at its peak. Change will come."

Heavy security deployed as farmers protest near Patiala ahead of PM Narendra Modi's election rally.

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to conduct roadshows and rallies in Dilshad Garden within the North East Delhi constituency and in Mangolpuri in the North West Delhi constituency. The Congress is contesting three seats in Delhi, with its ally Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) competing for the remaining four.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is leading a roadshow on the streets of Sirsa, Haryana on Thursday (May 23).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his election campaign in Punjab with his inaugural rally in Patiala on May 23, as confirmed by the State BJP secretary. Punjab BJP general secretary Rakesh Rathour stated that the Prime Minister will address three public rallies in the state, scheduled for May 23 and May 24. Modi's first rally will be in Patiala on May 23, followed by rallies in Gurdaspur and Jalandhar the following day.